PROVED
This has been solved in the affirmative.
Is it true that, in any finite colouring of the integers, there must be two integers $x\neq y$ of the same colour such that $x+y$ is a square? What about a $k$th power?
A question of Roth, Erdős, Sárközy, and Sós
[ESS89] (according to some reports, although in
[Er80c] Erdős claims this arose in a conversation with Silverman in 1977). Erdős, Sárközy, and Sós
[ESS89] proved this for $2$ or $3$ colours.
In other words, if $G$ is the infinite graph on $\mathbb{N}$ where we connect $m,n$ by an edge if and only if $n+m$ is a square, then is the chromatic number of $G$ equal to $\aleph_0$?
This is true, as proved by Khalfalah and Szemerédi
[KhSz06], who in fact prove the general result with $x+y=z^2$ replaced by $x+y=f(z)$ for any non-constant $f(z)\in \mathbb{Z}[z]$ such that $2\mid f(z)$ for some $z\in \mathbb{Z}$.
See also
[438].
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Additional thanks to: Deepak Bal
When referring to this problem, please use the original sources of Erdős. If you wish to acknowledge this website, the recommended citation format is:
T. F. Bloom, Erdős Problem #439, https://www.erdosproblems.com/439, accessed 2026-01-16